Driving Progress

Implementation of
I-10 Katy Freeway Managed Lanes
in Houston, Texas

Lisa Castaneda, P.E.

Assistant Director – Existing Infrastructure
Harris County Toll Road Authority
July 7, 2010

Good news for I-10 commuters: a more predictable trip.

 Project Background

• 1984: The I-10 Katy Freeway HOV lane opened

for buses and vanpools only
• 1986: Users on the HOV lane were expanded to
HOV 2+
• 1998: The “QuickRide Program” or HOT Lane
was implemented
– Raising occupancy to 3+ in the morning peak and
afternoon peak periods (6:45am to 8:00am & 5:00pm
to 6:00 pm) due to congestion
– Allowed 2-person carpools to use HOT lane during
peak hours for a $2 toll (Must Pre-Register)

Good news for I-10 commuters: a more predictable trip.

 I-10 Katy Freeway
Corridor
In late 1990’s the
Corridor:
• Moved 212,000 vpd
• 6 to 10 mainlanes
• 4 to 6 frontage road
lanes
• 1 reversible, barrier
separated, HOT lane

Good news for I-10 commuters: a more predictable trip.

 Why We Changed Course

• In 1998 when occupancy requirements were raised to

three occupants during peak periods
– The HOV lane returned to
free-flow conditions
– Excess capacity in the
HOV Lane was created
• The general purpose lane
continued to see
increased vehicle miles
traveled (VMT), Vehicles
per Day (vpd) and longer
peak hours

Good news for I-10 commuters: a more predictable trip.

 I-10 Katy Freeway
Managed Lanes Goals

Goal: Manage capacity and keep

traffic moving
• I-10 Katy Freeway Managed Lanes are the first
of their kind in Texas
• Offer more reliable travel times for METRO
buses and HOV riders while making unused
capacity available to SOV drivers through a toll
option

Good news for I-10 commuters: a more predictable trip.

 Katy Managed Lanes
Project At-A-Glance
• 12-mile, two lane (each direction) ML Facility between SH 6
and IH 610. New system replaced the single reversible HOV
facility.
• Serves mass transit and HOV needs during peak hours
• Unused lane capacity made available to single drivers for a
toll
• Lanes separated from general purpose lanes by flexible
“candlestick” barriers
• Operates 24/7
• “Designated Peak” hours are between 5-11am & 2-8pm M-F
• No guaranteed travel speed; expectation of minimum 45 mph
• Utilizes electronic toll collection

Good news for I-10 commuters: a more predictable trip.

Roadway at-a-glance

Project Configuration

• Three locations of intermediate entrances/exits

• Toll gantries located at the entrance locations
• Managed lanes separated by “candlestick” barriers

Good news for I-10 commuters: a more predictable trip.

 Success Factors

• Multi-Agency Coordination
• Corridor Management
• Enforcement

Good news for I-10 commuters: a more predictable trip.

 Success Factors: Multi-Agency
Coordination

• Team effort with HCTRA, Harris County, TXDOT, FHWA,

and Houston METRO
9 TXDOT – Partnered with to
leverage federal funding
9 HCTRA – Responsible for
operations/maintenance;
contribution of $250M to be paid
through toll revenues
9 Harris County – Harris County
Constables provide law
enforcement
9 FHWA – Federal Funding
9 Houston METRO – Bus and
Transit Operations

Good news for I-10 commuters: a more predictable trip.

 Success Factors: Pricing

• Variably priced with pricing changes 4 times/day

• Potential for dynamic pricing
• Electronic collection through EZ-Tag or any
interoperable transponders
• Exempt vehicles—police, emergency, military, school
buses, metro buses—free 24/7
• HOV2+ and motorcycles free during designated HOV
hours
• SOV drivers and trucks pay toll at all times
• All vehicles (excluding exempt) pay toll during non-peak
periods

Good news for I-10 commuters: a more predictable trip.

 Success Factors: Pricing

• Rate variances
determined by
plaza location,
day, time of day,
and direction
• Rates vary
between $0.60 -
$1.60 during
peak hours
• During non-peak
hours rates vary
between $0.30 -
$0.40

Good news for I-10 commuters: a more predictable trip.

 Success Factors:
Enforcement

• Declaration Lanes
• Occupancy Enforcement
• SOV

Good news for I-10 commuters: a more predictable trip.

 Enforcement:
Declaration Lanes
• Three declaration lanes in each
direction of travel
• Signs at each toll zone to
designate lanes
• SOVs drive through right-hand
lane during HOV hours
• HOVs have the left-hand lane as
a designated lane to declare
status
• During non-peak hours all lanes
open for use; all except exempt
vehicles pay toll
Good news for I-10 commuters: a more predictable trip.
 Enforcement: Occupancy

• Enforcement only necessary during peak hours

• HCTRA staff located in booths by gantries in
peak directions to make visual verification of
violators
• Harris County Law Enforcement located near
gantries to detain the violators

Good news for I-10 commuters: a more predictable trip.

 Enforcement: SOV

• Violation Enforcement
System used to identify
users without
transponders in SOV
lanes during non-peak
hours
• SOV driver that passes
through EZ-Tag lane
without transponder will
be considered a violator
and sent a notice

Good news for I-10 commuters: a more predictable trip.

 Benefits: Travel Time
Savings
I-10 March 2010 Travel Times/MPH
• Average time savings of 8
75.0
EASTBOUND
minutes during peak 70.0
65.0
60.0 General 

AVERAGE SPEED
travel times, not including 55.0
50.0
Purpose 
Lanes
45.0
incident occurrences 40.0
35.0
Managed 
Lanes

where savings can be 30.0

HOUR OF DAY

substantial
75
WESTBOUND
• Average peak speeds 70
65
60 General 

AVERAGE SPEED
55 Purpose 
– Managed lanes – 58 mph 50 Lanes
45 Managed 
40
– General Purpose Lanes – 35
Lanes

30
36 mph HOUR OF DAY

Good news for I-10 commuters: a more predictable trip.

 Benefits: Throughput and
Passengers
• Average peak hour throughput
ML Monthly Transaction Comparison Chart
– HOV – 1,720 vehicles/hour
(in Thousands)
– SOV – 2, 177 vehicles/hour
• Ridership 2009 Average Monthly Toll Transactions
– 51% HOV
– 49% SOV SR 167 WA 39

• Usage IH‐394 MN 81
237
– Monthly transactions have IH‐15 CA
increased from approx. 350K 292
IH‐25 CO
(May 2009) to over 1.2M (March IH‐10 TX 424
2010) IH‐95 FL 625
– April 2009 to March 2010 SR 91 CA 791
• EZ-Tag = approx. 5.51M
transactions

 ‐ 

 1

 3

 4

 6

 7

 9
 

0
 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 
• HOV = approx. 5.42M
transactions Thousands
• Total trans = approx. 10.93 M
• Total vehicles = approx. 7.29 M
(1.5 trans/vehicle)

Good news for I-10 commuters: a more predictable trip.

 Lessons Learned

• Acceptance by public for transportation alternatives in

Houston
• Support for transit and HOV ridership
• Simplistic pricing –
variable initially with
option to go to dynamic
• Clear messaging on
signage
• Enforcement

Good news for I-10 commuters: a more predictable trip.

Thank You

Lisa Castaneda, P.E.

Harris County Toll Road Authority
Assistant Director, Engineering
7701 Wilshire Place Drive
Houston, TX 77040
832-601-7807
lisa.castaneda@hctra.org

Good news for I-10 commuters: a more predictable trip.